Sarcosuchus (PAS)
Sarcosuchus is a giant carnivore from Africa and South America but its not a crocodile even though it looks like one. In Primeval Adventure Series When Connor accidentally drove the car into the anomaly, they ended up in a swamp where they would take it out to put back through the anomaly. In the lake, they encountered a Sarcosuchus where it almost caught them in the water then on the land. The team scare it away and it swims back into the lake. (Episode 1.4) Facts Sarcosuchus, meaning "flesh crocodile" and commonly called "SuperCroc") is an extinct genus of crocodyliform and distant relative of the crocodile that lived 112 million years ago. It dates from the early Cretaceous Period of what is now Africa and is one of the largest giant crocodile-like reptiles that ever lived. It was almost twice as long as the modern saltwater crocodile and weighed approximately 8 to 10 tonnes. Until recently, all that was known of the genus was a few fossilised teeth and armour scutes, which were discovered in the Sahara Desert by the French paleontologist Albert-Félix de Lapparent, in the 1940s or 1950s. He called it the "Aoulef crocodile". However, in 1997 and 2000, American paleontologist Paul Sereno discovered half a dozen new specimens, including one with about half the skeleton intact and most of the spine. All of the other giant crocodiles are known only from a few partial skulls, so which is actually the biggest is an open question. When fully mature, Sarcosuchus is believed to have been as long as a city bus (11.2–12.2 metres or 37–40 ft) and weighed up to 8 tonnes (8.75 tons). The largest living crocodilian, the saltwater crocodile, is less than two-thirds of that length (6.3 meters or 20.6 ft is the longest confirmed individual) and a small fraction of the weight (1,200 kg, or 1.3 tons). The very largest Sarcosuchus is believed to have been the oldest. Osteoderm growth rings taken from an 80% grown individual (based on comparison to largest individual found) suggest that Sarcosuchus kept growing throughout its entire 50–60 year average life span. Modern crocodiles grow at a rapid rate, reaching their adult size in about a decade, then growing more slowly afterward. Its skull alone was as big as a human adult (1.78 m, or 5 ft 10 inches). The upper jaw overlapped the lower jaw, creating an overbite. The jaws were relatively narrow (especially in juveniles). The snout comprises about 75% of the skull's length. The huge jaw contained 132 thick teeth; Larsson said they were like "railroad spikes". Instead of being narrow and adapted for slashing like the teeth of some land-dwelling carnivores, the teeth were conical, adapted for grabbing and holding, more like those of true crocodilians, which normally dispatch prey simply by holding them underwater until they drown. Sarcosuchus could probably exert a force of 80 kN (18,000 lbf) with its jaw, making it very unlikely that prey could escape. It had a row of bony plates or osteoderms, running down its back, the largest of which were 1 m (3 ft) long. The scutes served as armour and may have helped support its great mass, but also restricted its flexibility. Sarcosuchus also had a strange depression at the end of its snout. Called a bulla, it has been compared to the ghara seen in gharials. Unlike the ghara, though, the bulla is present in all Sarcosuchus skulls that have been found so far. This suggests it was not a sexually selected characteristic; only the male gharial has a ghara. The purpose of this structure remains enigmatic. Sereno and others asked various reptile researchers what their thoughts on this bulla were. Opinions ranged from it being an olfactory enhancer to being connected to a vocalization device. It belongs to the crocodilian line though was not a direct ancestor of modern crocodiles;the role belonged to Deinosuchus. Category:Primeval Adventure Series Category:Primeval Adventure Series Creatures Category:Creatures Category:Primeval Resurrected